On Friday, March 6, Manual’s Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS) kicked off the annual New Works Festival, showcasing student talent through various short plays and dances. The festival is entirely student-led, with Manual students working as performers, directors, choreographers and crew members. New Works contains two separate shows or “slates.” Each slate includes different performances and performers.
Slate 1 opened with the comedic murder mystery “Law and Disorder.” The play centered on Augustus, played by Austin Ramirez (9, YPAS), the lead singer of a boy band called “B4,” who was accused of murdering his fellow bandmember, Trevor. Through a whirlwind of snappy one-liners, dramatic plot twists and audience participation, the mystery of who hit Trevor upside the head with a microphone unfolds.
Next, with a significant change in tone, “Stay and Forget” began, setting the scene of three girls star-gazing with only a quilt and the audience’s imagination. The single prop, dark lighting and eerie sound effects drew the audience into the story as the protagonist, May, played by Elsa Hargis (12, YPAS), begins to realize her sense of reality is slipping away.
Dancer and choreographer Sofia Gonzalez Leal (11, YPAS) stepped onto the stage next, performing a solo called “Breaking Point.” Through a stunning display of strength and flexibility, Gonzalez Leal conveyed the overwhelming sense of feeling emotionally trapped as she danced.
“Last Bite” brought a second, but no less creative, comedy murder mystery, although the audience never once questioned who the murderer was. As sandwich-fanatic Steven, played by Abigail Seow (11, YPAS), praises her new deli meat filled creation, Jim, played by Micah Reardon (12, YPAS), reveals his anger about Steven’s obsession, a bitterness that drove him to murder. Laughter filled the Black Box Theater as a pair of incompetent cops question and annoy Jim to the point of confession.
“Behind the Camera,” a play about the dark nature of a family of influencers’ lives, sets a more serious tone. The performance, told through a series of time skips, depicts how a mother of two, Clarissa, played by Olivia Pritts (9, YPAS), causes her family to gradually fall apart.
“Just Us Two,” a dance choreographed and performed by Gonzalez Leal and Cadence Sanders (10, YPAS), conveyed a sense of nostalgia and friendship. The two dancers alternated between performing the same motions and performing separate ones, encapsulating the theme of love as they physically supported each other.
Last but certainly not least, “Boo and Breakfast” served as a fantastic conclusion for an outstanding show. The play followed entrepreneur and fraud Elliot, played by Lucy Stack (10, YPAS), and scare actor Dax, played by Scotty Ratterman (10, YPAS), as they work to scare two paranormal investigators at a spooky-themed Airbnb.
Overall, New Works’ Slate 1 was an extraordinary display of Manual students’ talents, creating a space for people with a wide range of experience and interests. For students like Lyna Tran (10, HSU) and Daniel Weis (12, HSU), New Works was their first chance to create and perform for an audience.
Weis played Clarissa’s husband, Patrick, in Tran’s play “Behind the Camera.”
“I had a little bit of experience in acting and stuff throughout the years, but this is my first time actually acting in front of an audience, so I thought that was pretty cool,” Weis said.
He explained that, although New Works required a lot of dedication, the process was incredibly beneficial, as he got to work with different people and do something he’d never done before. Tran also expressed her excitement about trying something new.
“I was really excited [about my play being in New Works] because I’ve never been able to do something like this. […] It’s really nice to see my writing actually come to life, like something I can actually visualize,” Tran said.
She based her play around the toxicity of family channels, specifically Ruby Franke’s 8 Passengers. New Works serves as an important opportunity for students to create stories around serious issues, as well as more lighthearted, humorous topics. In this way, students can connect to their audience with a variety of themes, an aspect of New Works that many audience members enjoyed.
“I think it was wonderful, everybody did a great job,” Manual parent and audience member Sabrina Gorman said. She appreciated how the multiple short performances kept the audience engaged.
Slate 2 performances will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 13, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 14. New Works takes place at YPAS’s Black Box Theater at 1517 South 2nd Street. Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for adults. The shows sold out for Slate 1, but tickets can still be purchased for Slate 2.
